Ease to my Loneliness
by izaheichou
Summary: Prussia is depressed and lonely, and it drives him to wander. Eventually he passes out in front of England's house, who takes him in. Prussia feels for England, but the other cannot figure out his feelings. Rating will rise later. This isn't smut w/o plot
1. Impressions

**Heeey this is my first submission here, so sorry if it seems nooby. xD I'm so used to dA. Anyways,**

**Prussia, England (c) Himaruya Hidekazu-sensei**

**Douzo yoroshiku onegai shimasu! C:**

Through dark alleys and empty parks, Prussia wandered alone, his mind blank. Too many centuries of loneliness had finally taken its toll, driving the depressed platinum blonde to wander deserted areas.

Several days after his insanity drove him to wandering, Prussia felt the effects of his unfueled meandering in his stomach. Stumbling, he tripped over his foot and fell on face down on the cobbles, the smell of burnt food reaching his nose before the world itself turned into a burnt canvas.

~.~.~.~

England whistled tunelessly to himself, enjoying the peace and quiet; it was once of those days America was too busy to visit. Alfred visited often, but his visits did not bother Arthur _that_ much, he just enjoyed the occasional time to himself. Tapping his foot rhythmically, he looked around the kitchen for something to pass the time while his scones baked. The scones' burnt aroma wafted out of the window. England reached over to the table by the window to pick up his Eros magazine when he heard a thump outside his home.

"Geez…Did America bring another sack of hamburgers?" the blonde muttered to himself as he made his way to the door. Calling out, "Coming," Arthur turned the knob and opened the door. Puzzled to not see anyone, he murmured, "A package, perhaps?" and glanced downwards, a shocked gasp escaping his lips.

It took him several moments to recall the name of the silver-haired man lying on his doorstep. "…Prussia…was it?" he murmured to himself. What was _he_ doing here? England thought. Wasn't he Germany's brother? What business did he have here? And why was he collapsed in front of his door? Wasting no more time on thoughts, England crouched down next to Prussia, hooking his arms beneath him, half-carrying, half-dragging his heavy muscular body onto his living room couch.

~.~.~.~

"Nnn…" Prussia groaned, blinking his crimson eyes in the light. He felt something soft beneath him…A sofa, perhaps? Where was he? The last feeling he remembered was hunger and cold stone slapping his face. As more of his senses returned to him, he heard a person moving around. Whose house was he in? "H-hello?" he croaked, "Where am I?"

England poked his head around the corner to see the platinum blonde man coming to. "Hey there. How do you feel?" he inquired.

"A bit dizzy…Have I met you before?" Prussia asked, his voice slurred.

England thought a moment. "I don't think we've met properly, but I've seen you around Germany's house on my business visits."

"Huh…I remember now…England was it?" he responded, his voice more steady.

"Yeah…Say, are you hungry?" England raised a thick brow. "I've got some scones in the oven." He wanted to ask what Prussia had been doing when he collapsed, but decided to let him rest before interrogating him.

"Uh…sure." Gilbert slowly pulled himself upright, groaning as his head throbbed. Scones… were those the source of the burnt odor? He hoped they didn't taste as bad as they smelled, he thought as the thick-browed blonde came in carrying a tray of charred black lumps. Reaching out hesitantly, he delicately picked up a black 'scone' and murmured his thanks. As he nibbled at it with his teeth, it took all his will to keep his face from wrinkling in disgust. They tasted _worse_ than their smell!

Heart thumping, eyes averted downwards, Arthur stammered, "S-so, uh, h-how is it?" Everyone who knew him despised his cooking, so he was nervous his guest would pass out again from the taste.

Gilbert glanced upwards and noticed England's anxiety. Watching him fidget, he felt bad and said with a fake cheer, "They're great!" He couldn't help thinking the blonde was rather cute as he fidgeted…

England looked up into Prussia's crimson eyes in shock. "R-really?" he breathed, blushing madly. "Wow…no one's said that for a long time…" Not since America's childhood, he added mentally.

I wonder why….Prussia thought sarcastically. Taking another ashy bite, he saw the other reddening at his "compliment". After he swallowed the sooty lump, he asked, "So, do you have a regular name, or do you always go by England?"

"Huh?" This question was unexpected. Usually only people he knew well would call him by his real name." Yea, I go by Arthur as well."

"Arthur, huh? I go by Gilbert," he grinned, "Awesome name, eh?"

Awesome? This guy brimmed with arrogance. "Uh..sure. Awesome…yeah." Arthur said, unconvinced. He seemed better, though. "Anyways, Gilbert…" he started, thinking the other was well enough for some questions. "What were you doing before you passed out in front of my house?"

Gilbert felt taken aback by the question and remembered his angst before he had passed out. "Um…" He hesitated. He barely knew this man, but somehow he felt like pouting his feelings out to him. "I was walking around randomly and didn't eat or sleep." he stated simply.

"What?" Arthur gasped in shock. "Why the bloody hell would you do that?"

Gilbert averted his eyes, his bloody eyes betraying pain. "I…" He looked into Arthur's confused emerald eyes. "I had been alone too long…I guess I went insane and started wandering." he said quietly.

Arthur lapsed into silence, feeling pity for the albino. Aside from pity, he felt another emotion he couldn't place a name to. He gazed into Gilbert's crimson eyes as he tried to name this new emotion. "I…I don't know what to say…" he sighed.

"You don't need to say anything," Gilbert whispered. He felt his impulses take over, and he leaned forward, pressing his lips softly onto the blonde's.

Arthur drew back, his eyes widening in shock. "W-w-what do you think you're doing?" he yelped. He felt his heart thumping so loud, he thought Gilbert could hear it. Why was this unknown feeling growing stronger?

Regret filling his eyes, Gilbert looked down, mumbling, "S-sorry…I-I don't know what got into me…" His heart ached; his lonely heart throbbed for more. He had always lived in cold loneliness, and the need for warmth grew to too much. Gilbert looked up into Arthur's eyes, silently begging for forgiveness.


	2. Interruption

His heart roiling with confusion and the mysterious emotion, Arthur backed away further, avoiding those pleading red eyes. Arthur glanced around furtively, his heart racing, and he stammered to a lamp, "Y-you're welcome to st-stay in the g-guest room, P-Prussia." He took a few more steps back and spoke, his mouth tumbling over his words, "You need to rest. Um…I'll s-see y-you in the m-morning." Turning round, the flustered blonde fled to his room upstairs, shutting the door softly behind him.

Gilbert stared after Arthur, his heart aching and the light fading from his eyes. Damn…Why did he have to be so impulsive? At the first chance of friendship, he took it too fast and screwed it up. He mentally slapped himself and shoved his fist into the couch. "Scheisse!" His crimson eyes narrowed and tears pooled in them, bloodying them. He hated this loneliness so much. It made him too desperate…But he had truly felt _something_ for the British man. Sighing inwardly, he stood up and started towards the front door, but something in him turned him away and to the guest room. Gilbert flopped onto the soft bed and thought repeatedly to himself, _I should leave. I should leave._ For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to leave, so he let himself slip into slumber, his heart still throbbing…

~.~.~.~

"Nnng…" Arthur sat up slowly, as if suspended in gel, and rubbed his eyes, groggily blinking the sleep out of them. "Aaaah…" he stretched his mouth in a yawn, blissfully forgetting to the previous day's events. He stepped out of bed, brushed his teeth, and then proceeded to change into a collared shirt, argyle vest, and jeans. Heading downstairs, he nearly ran into the door as Gilbert opened the guest room, glancing around nervously. The memories rushed back to Arthur, eliciting a gasp, and he felt confused all over again.

Gilbert turned to see he had almost hit Arthur with the door as he came out. His eyes flicked around nervously, and he muttered, "Guten morgen…"

"Oh, um…Good morning, Gilbert." He half-smiled, still unsure how to act; his feelings were so jumbled… Arthur scanned Gilbert's wrinkled clothes and realized the platinum blonde had slept in his clothes. He mentally facepalmed; of course, he had no change of clothes. He sighed inwardly. The least he could do was offer him a meal. "Would you like breakfast?"

"Um…Sure." Gilbert answered uncertainly. The Brit was acting like nothing at all had happened yesterday. His mind drowned in misery. He wanted to get closer to Arthur, but he was being treated like a political guest… Shoulders slumped, he followed the blonde to the dining room, taking a seat as the other continued to the kitchen.

Arthur walked into his kitchen, leaving Gilbert to seat himself. As he took out ingredients for a continental breakfast, he unconsciously started to whistle tunelessly, losing himself in his cooking. However, as he slipped the Danishes into the oven, he felt the confusion returning to him. He sighed inwardly and walked into the dining room where Gilbert sat, deciding he couldn't leave him to sit alone.

As he entered the dining room, Gilbert turned to look at him, his burgundy eyes gazing at him dully. Arthur smiled nervously and opened his mouth to ask how he was doing when the doorbell rang, accompanied by a loud "ENGLAAAAAAND," and the thump of a heavy sack hitting the ground. Groaning, he muttered an apology to Gilbert and called out, "Coming, Alfred!"

Scowling as he pulled the door open, Arthur chided, "Geez, Alfred! You're so loud. I have a guest over, too. And don't tell me you brought another sack of hamburgers again." He sighed lightly and resigned to saying, "Well, anyways, just bring your sack to the kitchen…"

~.~.~.~

Alfred grinned and tossed the bag over his shoulders, following Arthur into the dining room, where he noticed a silver-haired dude sitting at the table, looking bored. **(Gilbert's far from bored, but America does suck at mood-reading. :D )** The blonde stopped in his tracks and inquired, "Yo, Britain, who's this?"

Arthur turned around, halfway into the kitchen, to see Alfred motioning towards Gilbert. "Huh? Oh, just someone who's visiting."

"Oh, ok." The American turned his attention away from the albino and trotted over to the Brit, dropping the bag at his feet. Grinning widely, Alfred leaned forward and pecked Arthur on the cheek.

"H-hey, you git!" Arthur sputtered, his cheeks flushing, "I told you I don't like that!"

Alfred pouted playfully, and whined, "Aw, but Bwitain, I like you!"

Arthur blushed further and stole a glance at Gilbert only to see him sitting listlessly, his face blank. A pang of pity and guilt racked his heart, and he turned back to Alfred. He sighed, "Please. Just don't do that."

Alfred narrowed his eyes, suspicion clouding his mind. "Is there something going on with you and that guy?"

"W-what? N-no!" England flustered, his face flushing once again.

Gilbert stared blankly ahead, trying his best to ignore the dialogue and actions between Arthur and the other loud blonde. He felt as if he had no chance, not when Alfred was seemingly closer to Arthur. He himself had just properly met the Brit. Then he heard Alfred voice his suspicions if anything occurred between Britain and him. Gilbert heard Arthur respond with flustered denial and turned to the American. Eyes lifeless, he said dully, "Arthur's right. There's nothing." These words opposite of his heart brought around a worse wave of aching in his chest.

Arthur stared at Gilbert, his mouth hanging. What did he just say? Wasn't he the one who kissed him softly, driven by loneliness, and then asked for forgiveness for his action? Without knowing why, his heart throbbed painfully. He forgot about Alfred next to him until he heard his loud voice beside him, "So, anyways, I brought the hamburgers for you, and I had to talk to you about something, Arthur."

"Huh?" The blonde jerked out of his shocked state. "Oh…okay. Just leave them there. I'll take care of them." He glanced at Gilbert and back to Alfred. "In private?

"Yeah." Alfred reached and grasped Arthur's hand, pulling him upstairs towards the Brit's bedroom. He shut the door behind him, then turned towards the blonde. "Britain. Tell me, I know something is up." America accused quietly, narrowing his eyes again.

Arthur protested, "No, there isn't." He raised his palms up. "I swear, Alfred. There's nothing between us."

Alfred's eyes remained slits, and he moved closer, placing his palms on the door, trapping Arthur. He leaned forward until their noses nearly touched. "I came here for a reason," he uttered in a low voice, "I didn't expect you to have a visitor, but whatever. I've waited too long. I love you, Arthur."

**HAHAHAHAA CLIFF HANGERRRRRRRRR lolz I have it written, just gotta type it. BD I'm so happy with all the watches I've been getting. ; w; (Bear with me, Imma stick with dA terms here. XD )**


	3. Force

**Yey! After some delay, I was able to finish ch 3! C:**

**And a warning, this chapter contains some smut. =3= I will warn before it comes, but this is so you know.**

"W-WHAT?" Arthur gasped loudly, his heart pounding. First, his muddled feelings towards Gilbert, and now this. A confession. From Alfred. "I-I…" he stammered, uncertain of what to say. But before he could say anymore, Alfred had leaned in, roughly pressing his lips to the blonde Brit's in a passionate kiss, quite different from Gilbert's soft, almost sad one.

Arthur tried to pull away, but Alfred stood too close and his back pressed against the door. "Nnng!" He lifted his arm in a vain attempt to push Alfred away, but the American's muscled body refused to budge. A frustrated gargled scream bubbled in his throat, but still the other made no move to back away.

Gilbert sat alone in the dining room, his mind lost in blank lapses when he heard a scream resonate from upstairs. The realization it was Arthur screaming registered in his mind, jerking him awake and into a sprint up the stairs. As he reached the bedroom door, he could feel someone pressed to the door and figured it was Arthur. Calling out, "Arthur! What's going on? Are you okay?" Gilbert stood, frustrated, knowing he could not pound on the door or force it open with Arthur leaning on it.

Alfred pulled back a hair's breadth, smirking as Gilbert called for Arthur. "Look, Arthur, your _boyfriend_ is calling you. Unfortunately, I am not letting him have you!" he whispered. He then raised his voice, which dripped with a sneer, and directed it to the albino outside. "Hey, you! Go away! Arthur is feeling so good he can't speak, and he thinks you're in the way."

Gilbert growled harshly at the American's words and had to use all his restraint to not kick down the door. He sincerely felt Arthur would not think of him in contempt, not when he looked at him with those emerald eyes shining with pity.

Alfred leaned down and whispered into Arthur's ear, his mouth still curved in a smirk, "Come on; let's go. He can have fun all by himself." He picked up Arthur bridal style, ignoring the pounding fists on his back as he jumped into the tree outside the window and slid down, breaking into a trot to his own house.

He heard quiet words from behind the door and the weight lifting from the door. Without any hesitation, Gilbert burst in, only to glimpse America leaping out of the window, with a struggling Arthur strewn over his shoulder.

Chuckling softly to himself at his own wit, Alfred loped easily with his arms wrapped tightly around Arthur, preventing from escaping. He failed to hear Gilbert pursuing him over his own laugh.

Gilbert scowled as he pumped his legs, straining to keep his feet quiet on the stone ground_. What the hell was going on? _He thought irritably_. Wasn't this Arthur's close friend? Why was his_ friend_ kidnapping him?_ He shook his head and thought, _no, this isn't important right now. I need to focus on catching up._ Prussia had gone too long without battles and had spent too long merely wallowing in his loneliness. After following the American for an hour, Gilbert spotted him taking the Brit into his house and shutting the door behind him. It seemed Alfred had not noticed his pursuer. Gilbert slunk around the back of the house, deciding to inspect the layout and wait till the right time to enter.

-~.~.~.~ **(Ok, I'll take this chance of a break to warn you, in the coming paragraphs, there is a bit of smut.)~.~.~.~**

Arthur wiggled and slammed his fists into Alfred's broad back, but to no avail. He noticed with increasing dread they seemed on the path to the American's bedroom. Just what was Alfred planning? The blonde whimpered, his heart racing, "A-Alfred… What are you doing?"

Alfred giggled in quiet hysteria. "Oh, Arthur, what do you think?" The blue –eyed blonde smirked, "There's no need to sound so scared. We were meant to be together. Forget the albino."

Arthur felt himself trembling. _No, no, no, no!_ he thought, his mind racing in panic. He didn't want this, and there was no way he could forget Gilbert. Gilbert and his sorrowful eyes, his deep loneliness. The blonde let himself go limp until he felt Alfred loosen his grip, and then he twisted, breaking free. Alfred stumbled in surprise, but quickly grabbed him again.

"Oho, are you trying to get away?" Alfred taunted, "You can't get away from me, Arthur." His face softened, taking on a disappointed face, "Britain, why are you like this? Do you know how long I have tried to get you to like me? I was getting tired of it, I come over, and there's a guy you barely know." The American's face contorted and he said, "Why, why does it have to be so hard, Arthur?" Wrapping his arms around Arthur, Alfred held him close, pressing his face to his hair. "Please," he mumbled into blonde hair, "Tell me you like me."

Arthur stared at Alfred's chest, feeling his face in his hair. His mind roiled, his heart tossed and turned. As much as he could feel pity for Alfred, his mind kept turning to Gilbert and his red eyes shining with pain. "I…" he started, his voice edged with uncertainty, "I don't know, Alfred."

Pulling his face back, Alfred looked into Arthur's emerald eyes with shocked sadness. Seeing the other refusing to meet his eyes, Alfred blinked the tears out of his eyes and kissed the Brit for the second time that day. Keeping his lips pressed to Arthur's, he picked him up, and smoothly brought both of them on the bed. He wrapped his lips around Arthur's and felt him struggling to move away, but he refused to give in.

Eyes half-lidded, Arthur wriggled, trying to escape the lock of Alfred's lips on his, but the American proved too strong for any kind of resistance from him. "Nnnrr!" he growled in frustration, and just realized he was getting an erection from all the kissing and licking, which pushed him to groan in increased frustration.

Noticing Arthur's displays in frustration, Alfred slid his hand down, feeling the blonde's rising member. Sneering into the kiss, he grasped the other's erection, rubbing it slightly.

Arthur widened his eyes as he felt Alfred stroking his member and involuntarily let out, "Mmnnnn…A-Alfred, please…D-don't…"

Alfred's smirk widened, "Don't what? Don't tease?"

"N-no…Please…I don't want this at all…" he pleaded.

"Too bad." He rubbed the hot erection further, feeling Arthur convulsing from the sensation. His smirk slipped away, and he slid his tongue along the other's lips, then proceeded into his mouth, feeling around.

"Nnnn…" Arthur's mind clouded, the sensations clouded his mind, giving him no chance to consider his true feelings, and he gave in, begging, "I…Alfred…P—"

Still rubbing his member through his jeans, Alfred replied, "What, Arthur? 'Please put it in'?" He smirked, "Is that what you want?"

Eyelids hanging heavy, Arthur nodded, his mind going blank with the pleasure. All he wanted was for the teasing to end. Gilbert had completely slipped his mind.

Grinning, Alfred perked up, "Alright!" Continuing to wrap his tongue around Arthur's, he undid the blonde's jeans and slid both his pants and boxers down, revealing his trembling member. Pulling his lips away, he proceeded to eliminate his own pants. He turned Arthur onto his stomach and whispered, "Just relax." Then he slid his tongue into his entrance, sliding it around to oil it up. He could feel the Brit involuntarily contracting, and his eyes rolled back, turned on at the other's reactions. Alfred pulled his tongue out and stood on his knees, leaning forward to slide off the other's shirt. Before going into Arthur, Alfred decided to tease him a bit more, rubbing his fingertip on his nipples and pinching them slightly. He felt Arthur arch his back beneath him, a moan escaping his lips.

"A-Alfred…P-please…stop teasing me…" Arthur moaned, his nipples tingling and his entrance begging to be filled.

In the middle of Arthur's plead, Gilbert burst in, panting. Upon hearing what the blonde had said, his eyes filled with lust, the platinum blonde's eyes widened and every muscle froze. "A-Arthur…?"


	4. Lies

**Yey, chapter four! :D**

**reminder: Prussia, America, England (C) Himaruya Hidekaz-sensei**

**Enjoy! C:**

Green eyes jerked wide open, the sound of Gilbert's voice pulling Arthur out of his lusted stupor. "G-Gilbert?" He shook his head, realizing what he was in the middle of. "Oh my god…Bloody hell…" the blonde muttered, all clouds pushed from his mind, only to be replaced with a whirlpool of confusion.

Gilbert stood, a heavy silence permeating the air, his jaw hanging while he tried not to look at what had been about to occur, had he not bust in. His heart sunk deeper into his chest as he realized he had been right. He possessed no chance at all for Arthur.

Alfred stood up, his face twisted in a scowl, and he proceeded to slip his pants back on. Growling, "What right do you have to go busting in other people's houses?" Alfred advanced forward, leaving Arthur on the bed, his face emanating inner conflict.

"What right do you have carting people off against their will?" Gilbert retorted, his shock momentarily dissipating.

As Arthur watched Alfred advance towards Gilbert menacingly, he raised an arm, softly begging, "Please…Don't fight…Not over me…" His heart stung, the guilt towards Gilbert and his confusing feelings slicing it.

Gilbert avoided the pained emerald eyes while Alfred turned his head, smiling gently at the blonde, and said reassuringly, "Don't worry, Arthur. I'll take care of him." He turned back towards the albino, his smile melting into a scowl. "Let's take this outside."

Before he could say anymore, Alfred had pushed Gilbert out, shutting the door behind him, enclosing Arthur in the dark.

Gilbert hissed under his breath, eyes narrowing, "What do you think you're doing?"

Without answering, Alfred grabbed the albino's wrists, restraining him as he dragged him outside and into the neighboring alley. When the alley shadowed over them, Alfred spat, "I'm getting you out of my way, that's what." Not waiting for the other's response, he swung a fist towards those irritating crimson eyes.

Registering the fist flying towards him, Gilbert ducked, feeling it graze his hair. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" he screamed, backing away. Despite being born to fight, his last battle was an unfathomable age ago.

Noticing his target backing away, his eyes slits, Alfred lunged, tackling the lanky albino to the ground. Before Gilbert could raise his hands to defend himself, the American let loose, pummeling him with his fists, not caring if Gilbert's head ground against the smooth cobbles.

"AUGH!" the platinum blonde shrieked, his crimson eyes wide in agony. He felt as if he had completely exposed himself to large hail and soon the excruciating pain submerged him in unconsciousness.

Seconds after Gilbert passed out, Alfred noticed he had gone limp, and he stood, eyeing him with contempt before turning back to his house.

~.~.~.~

Sitting in the suffocating blackness, his heart heavy, Arthur pulled his clothes back on, moving as if he was in a trance. He flopped down, his chest aching and his mind feeling as if a hurricane flew through it. He just felt so…confused. Sighing, he thought, _This is making me so tired…Why? Why is this happening to me…? _Tears pooled in his eyes, and he broke into sobs, eventually losing himself in sleep.

~.~.~.~

Alfred opened the door slowly, feeling slightly winded from beating up Gilbert. He smirked as he recalled how much in pain the albino had looked and the sound of his scream. Walking up to the bed, he saw Arthur had fallen asleep, the traces of his tears shining in the light from the hallway. His face softened at the sleeping Brit and carefully placing himself on the bed, Alfred gently pushed back a blonde lock of hair, deciding to wait for Arthur to wake up.

"Nnn.." Arthur sat up groggily, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. This smelled different from his room…Then it all rushed back to him, dropping his heart to where it had been before he fell into slumber. The pain threatened to let loose more tears, but Arthur blinked them back. Glancing around, he found Alfred dozing next to him, his hand where his face had been. "A-Alfred?"

Alfred jerked awake at the sound of the Brit's voice, and he breathed, his mouth curving up into a smile, "Britain!"

"W-what happened to Gilbert?" he asked, his voice hesitant.

Alfred frowned at Arthur's inquiry of Gilbert. He opened his mouth, a lie on his breath, "He said he hated you. He never wants to see your face again, and he went back to his own place." His face contorted in mock anger. "That guy…"

"What, why?" Arthur's green eyes wide in pained shock. Gilbert…hated him? Was it because he was about to have sex with Alfred? Shaking his head, he felt regret and guilt filling his entire being. He hadn't wanted to lose Gilbert, but it seemed he had… Why did he feel like this? He had just met him…but he couldn't push away the sight of those eyes bloodied with loneliness.

Furrowing his brow, Alfred answered, "He said you were useless." Face softening, Alfred cradled Arthur's face in his hands, and he soothed, his voice honeyed with affection, "But that's not true. You're all I need, Arthur."

A knife shot through his heart as Arthur heard what Gilbert supposedly said about him. Then he heard Alfred reassure him, saying he needed him. Sighing, he looked up into Alfred's blue eyes and whispered, "Alright." He buried his face into his chest, letting his warmth fill him up, but in a corner of his mind, his subconscious wished he could embrace Gilbert.

~.~.~.~

"Nnng…" Gilbert opened his bloody eyes a hair's breadth and tried to sit up. He gasped at the intense pain wracking his entire body and fell limp against the stones. Arthur was lost to him; no doubt Alfred had fabricated some reason to make Arthur hate him, making him his. Shutting his eyes, he let the tears stream out from under his eyelids and let himself fall back into the abyss of sleep.

**Now to figure out what comes next... =3= ...Is it just me, or does it seem like my breaks disappear? o_O Dashes seem to disappear...  
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	5. Restart

**Characters owned by Hidekaz Himaruya-sensei**

**CH5- Restart**

The next morning, Arthur yawned himself awake, Alfred's arms still wrapped around him. The American snored softly, and he gently pulled him out of his arms. Glancing around, he spotted a pad of paper and a pen on the bedroom desk and hastily scribbled, "I need to check something at home. Don't worry. You don't have to come." Dashing out as quietly as he could, the blonde quietly shut the door behind him. He _had _to find Gilbert and discover the truth; it nagged at his mind and ate away at his sanity. Turning towards his home, passing the alleyway, he glimpsed a lump in the corner of his eye. Turning his head, Arthur let out a quiet gasp at the sight of Gilbert's broken body.

He stumbled over to where Gilbert lay, tears gathering in his eyes as he bent over Prussia. Sliding his arms underneath the platinum blonde, he hooked their arms together and attempted to stand, but the other was too heavy for his weak arms. In the sudden motion, a tear slipped out of Arthur's eye, landing and sliding down Gilbert's face.

"Urrrghh…" Gilbert groaned, his eyes opened in a squint. A hazy image formed before his eyes, comprised of the color of skin, yellow, and two spots of green. Blinking away the fuzz, he let out as a gasp as he recognized the face hanging over him. A look of pain crossing his face, he dropped out of Arthur's grasp and sprinted away, nearly tripping over a cobblestone.

As Gilbert escaped from his gasp, Arthur stumbled and stared, dumbfounded, at his retreating form. Shaking the shock out of his head, he ran after him, not knowing what he would do when he caught up to the pained man.

**~.~.~.**

Gilbert ran, clouds puffing out of his mouth as he pushed through the chill early morning air. As he ran, the scene from the night before repeated ran through his head, sending knives through his heart. After suffering from loneliness for so long, the regard he had received from Arthur changed him, giving him newfound feelings, only to have those feelings shattered by an apparently secret relationship Arthur had. Exhaling a deep sigh, he reached his—rather, West's—home, hastily unlocked the door and rushed inside, flying past a questioning Ludwig laden with paperwork. A few pieces of paper floated down to the floor in a flurry as Gilbert slammed his door shut, locking it, and ignoring Ludwig's concerned inquiries.

About five minutes after Gilbert's arrival, Arthur reached Germany's home, doubled over and panting in front of the door. Weakly raising an arm to knock on the door feebly, he croaked, "Hello? This is Britain. Germany, or Gilbert, please let me in!"

Sighing, Ludwig replaced his papers on his desk, resolving to work on them once he had figured out just what was happening. Leaving the stray papers on the floor, he strode briskly to answer the door. "Well, hello there, Britain." He greeted him, one blonde eyebrow raised. "What's going on? Do you have anything to do with why mein Bruder just rushed in, and locked himself in his room, without saying anything to me?" the brawny German inquired, standing tall over the skimpy British, noticing his winded state.

"We had a complicated misunderstanding, Mr. Ludwig," the blonde stated shortly, still slightly panting between his words.

"I see. Well, come in, then, and see if you can resolve your situation." Ludwig stood back, holding out his arm to welcome Arthur into his home. Pointing at a door down the hall, he said, "His room's right there. With the sign that says, 'The Awesome Me's Territory.'" Ludwig pointed at a sign bearing scrawled script hanging lopsidedly on a door at the end of the hall.

Leaving Ludwig at the door, Arthur stepped slowly towards the hall, feeling as if it lasted forever. When he finally reached the door, he raised his hand to knock, gulping with apprehension, and forced himself to rap the door quickly. "Gilbert? It's me, Arthur. I-I need to talk to you."

"Leave me alone." The cold, curt reply resounded from within, the voice devoid of emotion.

"Please, let me explain!" Arthur pleaded, his eyes involuntarily tearing up. A long pause followed, and his tears hung in the corners of his eyes.

After a few moments, the Brit heard a resentful, resigned, "Fine" and the door was opened, revealing an angry looking Gilbert, hurt deep in his bloodred eyes. The platinum blonde stepped back, allowing Arthur to nervously step aside, his flitting eyes taking in the messy room. Shutting the door behind him, Gilbert growled, "What do you want?"

Arthur flinched at the hostility in the other's voice, his eyes automatically averting to the ground. Forcing himself to fearfully look the other in the eye, he stammered, "A-Alfred s-s-said you h-hated me…"

"What?" Gilbert yelled, startling the smaller man once again. He grabbed the other by the collar, yanking his trembling green eyes to his glaring crimson ones. "That bastard…that's a lie!" he hissed, outraged. His face softened at the other's soft green eyes, and he whispered, barely loud enough for him to hear, "I don't hate you, even if you said what you did…"

His heart thudding loudly, Arthur squinted his eyes shut, as a warm feeling spread through him, stemming from his heart. He felt so…relieved. "I-I'm glad…" he whispered back.

Gilbert's heart skipped a beat, and he leaned forward slightly, pausing in hesitation before pressing his lips gently to the blonde's.

However, unlike the first time Gilbert had done this, Arthur closed his eyes, sighing softly against the Prussian's soft lips.

**(Hehe, it's not over yet! ;D Can't leave Alfred hanging just sleeping, can we? His involvement still has not been resolved, so expect more! C: And I really apologize for the long break… I was taken by laziness while working on this chapter and didn't remember to work on it till 4 months later! Heheh…I hope you enjoyed this chapter, anyhow! :3 )**


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